New Golf Courses in France, 2026
France's biggest golf story of 2026 is a comeback. The Albatros at Le Golf National, home of the 2018 Ryder Cup and the 2024 Olympics, reopens on 1 September 2026 after a redesign forced by the Greater Paris Metro. Here is what is new for the year.
Photo via Google.
The Albatros returns, reshaped by a metro line
Most years the big French golf news is a tournament. In 2026 it is a reopening. The Albatros at Le Golf National, the stadium course near Versailles that staged the famous 2018 Ryder Cup and the 2024 Olympic golf, has been closed for redesign work and is set to reopen on 1 September 2026. The trigger was unusual: the Grand Paris Express metro project, and specifically Line 18, runs through the area and required changes to part of the course.
The result is a refreshed Albatros rather than a brand new course. Reports describe a spectacular redesign of holes 4, 5 and 6, along with reshaped greens on holes 1, 2, 15 and 16, work intended to sharpen both playability and the spectator experience on one of Europe's most important venues. For a French golf trip in 2026, the calendar now points to that September reopening.
New French golf, 2026 at a glance
| What | Where | Status in 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Albatros, redesigned | Le Golf National, near Versailles | Set to reopen on 1 September 2026 after a Grand Paris metro driven redesign |
| Holes 4, 5 and 6 | Le Golf National | Reported as the most significant redesign work, reshaping the routing |
| Greens on 1, 2, 15 and 16 | Le Golf National | Reshaped as part of the same project |
| New construction | Nationwide | No major brand new championship course confirmed to open elsewhere in France in 2026 |
Inside the 2026 story
Why the Albatros had to change
The Albatros is a manufactured stadium course, built on former farmland to give France a world class championship venue, and its amphitheater finish around the 15th, 16th and 18th is part of golf folklore after the 2018 Ryder Cup. The Grand Paris Express, the vast expansion of the Paris transit network, brought Line 18 through the area, and the infrastructure work meant parts of the course had to be rebuilt rather than simply maintained.
What is actually different
Rather than a wholesale reinvention, the project refines a course that was already excellent. The headline changes are a redesign of holes 4, 5 and 6 and reshaped greens on holes 1, 2, 15 and 16, aimed at improving both how the course plays and how it watches for the big crowds it draws. The reopening is set for 1 September 2026, so autumn is the moment the new look becomes playable.
The rest of the French scene
Beyond Le Golf National, 2026 looks like a year of tournaments and established excellence rather than brand new courses. France's strength has always been its breadth, from the dunes of the northern coast and the heathland around Paris to the resort golf of the southwest and the Riviera. We could not confirm another major championship course opening this year, so the new story is firmly the Albatros.
Our take
Our take for 2026 is to treat the Albatros reopening as the anchor for a Paris golf trip from September onward. Pairing it with the Aigle, the resort's second course, and the heathland classics of the Ile de France makes for a strong few days within easy reach of the capital, and the chance to play a freshly reworked Ryder Cup venue is a genuine draw.
As with any reopening, treat the 1 September date as a target and confirm access before you build a trip around it, since public tee availability on a venue like this can be limited. Our France destination hub, the best courses in France list and our guide to golf around Paris are the places to anchor the plan, and our team can fold the Albatros into an itinerary as the reopening firms up.
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New French courses, your questions
What new golf is there in France for 2026?
The headline is the reopening of the Albatros course at Le Golf National near Versailles, set for 1 September 2026 after a redesign required by the Grand Paris Express metro project. The work includes a redesign of holes 4, 5 and 6 and reshaped greens on holes 1, 2, 15 and 16. It is a refreshed version of the Ryder Cup venue rather than a brand new course.
When does the Albatros at Le Golf National reopen?
The Albatros is set to reopen on 1 September 2026. As with any major course redesign the date is a target and can move, and public tee access on a championship venue can be limited, so confirm directly before planning a trip around it.
Why was the Albatros redesigned?
The redesign was driven by the Grand Paris Express, the major expansion of the Paris transit network. Line 18 runs through the area around Le Golf National, and the infrastructure work meant parts of the Albatros had to be rebuilt, which the club used as a chance to refine the routing and several greens.
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. The Albatros reopening date, redesign details and Grand Paris metro context compiled June 2026 from Le Golf National and golf course design sources; dates are targets and can move, so confirm directly. Last reviewed June 2026.